SAT Reading Master Key

What is the 5 Step Process for approaching an SAT reading question?

1. Read the short introduction that precedes the passage 2. Skip reading the passage 3. Pick a question (starting with citation questions) and read 5 lines above and 5 lines below the relevant text 4. Try to find 3 incorrect answers that follow the wrong answer patterns 5. Look at the remaining answer and ensure it directly restates or demonstrates the relevant portion of text

What is wrong answer type 2?

Barely relevant. These phrases don't directly contradict the text, but they say something that isn't directly restated or demonstrated in the text.

What is wrong answer type 6?

Confused relationships. Preys upon people who don't pay attention to details but remember major concepts. Mixes up the relationships between various elements of the text.

What should you do with comma sandwiches?

Consider them separately from the rest of a sentence or ignore them completely.

What is wrong answer type 5?

Direct contradiction. Preys upon people who will doubt themselves and go back and reread the text, wasting time.

What does "humor" refer to on the SAT?

Either a situation that couldn't literally be true, or when something occurs that is unexpected based off of what you know. I.e. character doing the opposite of what you'd expect. Doesn't matter if it's actually "funny."

What is your goal on the first pass of a section?

Gather information. Answer the easiest questions, the ones you are able to figure out a solution to in 10 seconds or less and totally solve in 30 seconds. Get your eyes on all the questions so that you know where you want to spend your time on the second pass.

What is the goal on the second pass of a section?

Go back to the easiest problem you skipped over and dedicate a little more time to trying to figure out a solution. Remember that no problem should take minutes to solve. If it does, you've missed something, and it might be best to come back. Go through solving the problems you think are most likely to result in a correct answer in the shortest amount of time.

How do you answer an unpaired Best Evidence question?

Go to the answer choices and see which one directly restates or demonstrates an idea in the relevant portion of text. Oftentimes the correct answer will be a sort of summary of the evidence presented in the paragraph it is in. Don't be put off if other pieces of "evidence" seem to appear right before or after it.

How do you answer a paired Best Evidence question?

Go to the second question in the pair, and use the answer choices to see which one directly restates or demonstrates an answer choice to the previous question. Only one pair will do this. Then you know you've answered both questions correctly.

What should you do when you confront academic or scientific language?

Ignore it. You likely won't need to know what it means.

Why does College Board use terms like "suggest, primarily, probably?"

In an attempt to get you to think subjectively about the test. Remember each answer choice has to be directly restated or demonstrated by the text.

What do you need to be careful of when you know something about the topic a passage discusses?

Letting your outside knowledge get in the way of figuring out what is actually restated or demonstrated in the text.

Do you need to understand the narrative "flow" of a literary passage?

No. All questions can be answered with complete certainty just focusing on the relevant portions of the text.

What is wrong answer type 1?

Off by one or two words. Be extremely particular about the meaning of words. If there's a word in there that isn't directly restated or demonstrated by the text, it's wrong.

How do you answer a figure question?

Read the figure extremely carefully and remember all text and labels are important. When the answer choices include information that the table/figure doesn't include, look to the passage to find elaboration. There's always a clear link between the passage, figure, and correct answer.

What is wrong answer type 4?

Reasonable statements that aren't in the text. This might seem right to someone who is generally familiar with a subject--particularly in science, history, etc.--but it isn't directly restated or demonstrated in the text.

How do you answer a "yes-yes-no-no" question?

Remember both the yes or no part of the question and the explanation must be restated or demonstrated by the relevant text. For this reason, many people find it easier to focus on figuring out which explanation is directly restated or demonstrated in the text. In the rare case multiple explanations are restated or demonstrated, you'll have to see logically whether "Yes" or "No" makes sense. Only one will.

How do you answer a "Summary" or "Development" question?

Remember that just like any other SAT Reading question, the every part of the correct answer will be restated or demonstrated by pieces of text. Usually with summary questions, the answers focus more on demonstration, as examples of what the correct answer says are strewn throughout the text.

How do you answer a "Central Claim" or "Main Idea" question?

Remember that just like every other answer to an SAT Reading question, the answer must be directly restated or demonstrated in the relevant portion of text. The restatement pieces might be scattered across the passage, so you might have to go looking for them.

How do you answer a "Most Nearly Means" question?

Remember that you are not just looking for a word that has a similar meaning. You are looking for a word that is directly restated using other words or demonstrated (provided an example of) in some part of the surrounding text.

How do you answer an "Attitude" question?

Remember that you are not making any subjective assessments about the passage. The correct answer to an "Attitude" question will be directly restated or demonstrated by the text. Simply match the statements in the text to the correct answer. Sometimes these pieces will be spread around in the text, so you might have to go looking for them.

How do you answer a purpose question?

Remember that you are not to make a subjective assessment about something. The reason an author included something will be explained by an example of something in the relevant paragraph. In other words, the relevant text will demonstrate an answer choice.

How do you answer paired passage questions where you are asked how one author would respond to the claim of the other?

Remember that you're never to make any subjective assessments about an author's position. Their position on any issue will be directly restated or demonstrated in the text. They will respond to the claim the question is asking about. This also applies to non-paired questions where it asks about how an author would respond to a claim.

What is wrong answer type 7?

Restatement or demonstration of the wrong part of the passage. People will vaguely remember reading something, and won't go back to verify what part of the passage it came from. It does accurately restate or demonstrate part of the passage, but in the wrong place.

What is the goal of the third pass?

Start with the question you think is most likely to result in a correct answer in the shortest amount of time. Dig deep and remember that the question itself does not require advanced knowledge, but rather is just written strangely. At this point if you still are unable to come up with an answer it might be time to guess.

What is wrong answer type 3?

Statements that would be valid literary interpretations in the classroom. These could be defensible, but they aren't directly restated or demonstrated by the passage.

What is the number one rule regarding time management on the SAT?

We want to achieve the highest score in the shortest amount of time. That means not wasting time on questions you're going to have to guess on anyway.

What is demonstration?

When a correct answer provides an example or scenario that's exactly described in the text. Or when the text provides an example or scenario that's exactly described in the correct answer.

What is restatement?

When two separate pieces of text express the same ideas in different words.

How does one deal with reading questions without citations?

You should leave these questions until after you have answered all the questions with line citations. Remember that the correct answer will be directly restated or demonstrated by a portion of text. Using chronology (questions usually go chronologically through the passage), you can determine the rough area where the relevant text should appear. From there, you can skim to pick up on key phrases. Also, the correct answer may be in one of the answer choices for another question.